Engine-starter.



J. HUME.

ENGINE STARTER. 'APPLIOATION FILED JULY10,191L

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

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INVENTOI? BY #:140100 ATTORN s.

Patented 0bt.14,1913.

J. HUME.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLIGATION FILED JUL 10, 1911.

Patented Oct. 14,1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES.

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J. HUME.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 10, 1911.

'4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES: nwsm'rofl Q; m E 4 HM Nouns Puma m: Lllm msmawn. u. c.

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

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Be. it knownthat I, JoHN HUME, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hons ton, 1n the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in engine starters, and more particularly to such devices as are designed to be used for starting engines of the internal combustion type. The drawings illustrate the device as. applied to an automobile.

- The object of the invention isto provide a device of the character described so constructed. as to be operated by compressed 'air and vwhich may be readily connected,

with and disconnected from as to start the same.

The invention also comprehends a storage reservoir for the compressed fluid which communicates with theoperative mechanism of the device and which may be filled with the motive fluid thereby and the motive fluid of which may be released therefrom so as to operate the mechanism of the device and automatically connect said operative mechanism with the engine to be started.

The invention further comprehends means whereby the compressed fluid 'may be clivert'ed from the storage reservoirto be used for any purpose for which it may be desired to use the same, as for inflating pneumatic tires and for-like Purposes.

the engine so \Vith the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novelfea'tures of construction and op eration an example of which will be describedin this specification and illustrated in' the accompanying drawing, wherein ternal combustionengine showing the operative mechanism of the air motor in'its relationto' said engine, Fig. 5, isa plan view thereof, F ig'i b, is a front elevation of said engine and" motor, 'Fig. 7, is a plan view o'f'the airmotor, Fig.8, is the side elevation thereof, Figs. 9 and 10 are end views, respectively, of the motor cylinders, Fig. 11, shows the motor crank shaft and adjacent parts, Fig. 12, is a side elevation 7 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct, 14 1913, Application filed July '10, 19.11. Serial No. 6375800.

shaft, in elevation, and, Figs. 15, '16 and 1-7,

are, respectively, detailed views of the valve which the air motor and the clutch cylinder may be connected with and disconnected from the storage reservoir.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of refercnce designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral l-refers" to a suitable storage reservoir which may be secured at any desired place upon the machine frame. This reservoir is filled through pipes2 and 2 through the latter of which the compressed fluid is also released from said reservoir. The pipe 2 is provided with a suitable gage 3 provided to indicate the amount of fluid preSsuIe,-a safety valve 4, and a cut off valve 5 by means of which said ipe may be tightly closed andall escape rom the reservoir prevented. The pipe 2 communi cates with both cylinders of the air motor, as-shown in Fig. 7. This motor is prefer-' ably of the oscillating cylinder type and is shown in detail in Figs. 4-8 inclusive, in which the, numerals 6 and 7 refer respectively, to the cylinders which are mounted upon a suitable supporting frame 8 and in said bearings. As shown in Fig. 14 the portion of the clutch. shaft which extends through the bearings 16and 17 is square and mounted thereon between the bearings 16 and 17 is a spur gear wheel This gear wheel always rotates with the shaft 15 but is loosely mounted so that said shaft may have free lengthwise movement relat ve thereto. The crankshaft 11 carr es a rigidly mounted gear wheel 20 which meshes with the gear wheel 19 and transmits motion thereto and to the shaft 15 carrying the same.

The inner end of the shaft 15 is formed into a clutch member 21which is arranged to engage with a corresponding clutch member 22 carried by the free end of the crank shaft ll and the outer end of said shaft 15 carricsa collar 23, interposed between which and the bearing member 18 is the coil spring which operates to normally hold the clutch members 21. and 22 out of engagement with each other. The outer end of shaft 15 also carries a crank 25, loosely mounted thereon and which may be clutched with said shaft by means of clutch 26, in the ordinary manner and the clutch shaft 15 then manually forced along until the clutch members 21 and 22 engage and the engine may then be manually cranked, in the ordinary manner.

I The numeral 27 refers to a clutch cylinder with which the air pipe 28 communicates. This cylinder is provided with a piston 29 totheouter end of which a. clutch lever 30 is hingedly attached at one end. This lever is pivotally secured to a fulcrum 31 and its other end is bifurcated, the fingers 32 and33 thereof resting in the eripheral groove 34 of the collar 35, rigi lyjmounted on the shaft 15 and between the bearings 17 and 18.

Vhen the engine is 'running the air motor is also forced to operate, being driven through gear wheels 19 and 20 and the air is compressed thereby and driven through the pipes 2 and 2 into the reservoir L. At

the same time a'certa in amount of air pres-.

sure is exerted through pipe 28, which cominunicates-with pipe 2, against piston 29 and said piston is thus forced out which operates through clutch lever 30 to hold shafts 1-1 and 15 clutched together while the reservoir is being filled. The air to be compressed is drawn into the air motor through the suction pipes 36. \Vhile the reservoir is being filled the manual lei'er 37 will be in the position indicated by the letter C, in Fig. 1, in which position the intake 38 will be closed to pipes 2, and 2 and 28 and opened to pipe 36 and the pipes 2, 2 and 28 will communicate together, all by means of valve 39, as shown more in detail in Figs. 15 and 1.6. The air reservoir 1* will thus be filled with compressed air through the pipes 2 and 2. The lever 37 should then be moved into release position as indicated by R, in Fig. l, in which position the pipe 2 will be closed by valve 39 and pipe 28, will be disconnected therefrom by said valve and the pressure in cylinder 27 behind piston 29 being relieved the shaft 15 will be released to the operation of spring 24 and the members 21 and 22 will thereby be declutched and the motor stopped. WVhen it is desired to again start the engine the handle 37 is ,moved into the positionindicated by the letter S, in Fig. -l, which operates through valve 39 to connect pipes 2, 36 and 28 and close them to' intake 38 and to release the pressure from the reservoir, through said pipes to the air motor and the clutch cylinder 29. The pressure through pipes 2 and 36 operates to start the motor which in turn operates through gear wheels 20 and ,19 to rotate the clutch shaft 15, and the ressure through pipe 28 operates through piston 29 and clutch lever 30 to force the clutch members 21 and 22 into engagement and the engine is thus started. During this operation suction pipes 2 and intake 38 serve as an outlet for the air from the motor. As soon as the engine starts the lever 37 is again moved into release position R, and the "motor is thus stopped and clutch shaft 15 is de;.;" clutched from engine shaft 1 1 in the manner hereinbefore described.

The air reservoir should be ofsuch a size that sutficient motive fluid may be contained therein to startthe engine a number of times before the pressure is entirely exhausted, but when the compression has been considerably reduced in said reservoir it should be again charged in the manner herein before described.

a When it is desired to use the device to inflate pneumatic tires or for similar purposes the lever 37 should be moved into the position indicated by the letter C in Fig. 1. The valve 40, controlling the pipe 41 should then be opened and the air forced by the motor through pipes 2 and 2 will be diverted from said last mentioned pipe through the pipe 41 connected therewith, and may be used for any desirable purpose.

While I have shown only one form of this device I desire to reserve the right to vary the form, construction and arrangement of parts in so far as the variation thereof will not depart from the principle of the 'lIlVQIltion.

What I claim is:-'

1. A device of the character described including a pressure chamber, a fluid compressor and an intake pipe therefor, a motive fluid conduit communicating with said chamber and with a motor, a mechanism operatively' connected Withsaid motor and arranged, to be connected with and disconnected from the mechanism to be driven thereby, a means for forcing said mechanisms into operative connection, said means including an air cylinder, a piston reciproeating therein and a lever mounted upon a fulcrum and having one end connected to said piston and the other end connected to and actuating said first mentioned mechanism, a motive fluid conduit communicating with said first mentioned conduit and also with said air cylinder through which fluid pressure is conducted from the first men tioned conduit into said air cylinder and behind the piston reciprocating therein where- .by said means is forced, by fluid pressure, to connect said driving with said driven mechanism, and a means for closing said first mentioned conduit and simultaneously disconnecting the second mentioned conduit therefrom, when said means is in one position and connecting the intake with the compressor and the compressor with both of said conduits when said means is in another position. v a

2. A device of the character described including a pressure 0 amber, a fluid compressor, an intake pipe therefor, a motive fluid conduit communicating with said chamber and with said compressor, a mechanism operatively connected wlth said fluid compressor and arranged to be connected with and disconnected from the mechanism to be driven thereby, a means for forcing said mechanisms into operative connection, said means including an air cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, and a lever mounted upon a fulcrum and having one end con nected to said piston and the other end connected to and actuating said first mentioned mechanism, a motive fluid conduit communicating with said first mentioned conduit and also with said air cylinder, means controlling said conduits and arranged to admit fluid pressure from said compression chamber through said conduits to said compressor and said air cylinder simultaneously whereby said. compressor is actuated and simultaneously therewith fluid pressure is admitted behind said piston reciprocating in said air cylinder, operating through said lever to connect said d'rivingwith saiddriven mechanism, said last mentioned means'being arranged so that when moved into one position it will close the first mentioned con- .duit and simultaneously disconnect the second mentioned conduit therefrom and-when moved into another position it will connect the intake with the compressor and the compressor with both of said conduits.

In testimony whereof I ,have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HUME.

Witnesses A. N. FrrrcER, Gno. E. SMITH. 

